by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had surgery Monday morning on his broken left forearm, which he injured in Sunday's blowout victory over the Indianapolis Colts, according to a person informed of the procedure.

The person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the Patriots have yet to confirm the injury, said Gronkowski is expected to miss "several weeks."

USA TODAY Sports reported on Sunday night the initial projection was for Gronkowski to miss four to six weeks. There are six weeks remaining in the regular season, which means Gronkowski could be out until the playoffs.

The Pats won't be able to replace Gronkowski's presence on the field, though they're hoping fellow starting tight end Aaron Hernandez will soon return from an ankle injury. Hernandez has missed six of the last eight games.

New England is back on the field quickly, too, visiting the New York Jets on Thanksgiving night.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Monday that he had known about the injury but did not know its extent.

"It's part of the game," Brady said on his weekly appearance on WEEI radio. "He's got to do his best to get back as soon as possible, and we've got to go out there and win some games without him."

Daniel Fells, Visanthe Shiancoe and Michael Hoomanawanui back up Gronkowski and Hernandez. Veterans Kellen Winslow II and Bo Scaife spent time on the roster earlier in the year but were released; both are currently unsigned.

Gronkowski's 1,327 receiving yards and 17 TD catches in 2011 set single-season records for the tight end position. His 10 scoring receptions this year are tied for tops in the league.